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| Birthday Party Tips |
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6 to 8 weeks before the birthday
Help child select a theme.
Decide on the number of guests and develop a guest list.
. If party will be held outside your home, select a location.
. Choose a date and time.
. Visit web site or call to order birthday supplies and invitations. Note: Be sure to include your child when ordering.
. If using an entertainer, call to book entertainer.
2 -3 weeks before the party
. Fill in and mail or deliver invitations.
. Keep a list of invitees near the phone for RSVP's.
. Discuss and select 4 - 6 party activities with your child.
. Collect prizes and items needed for activities.
. If serving a meal, decide on the menu.
. Order a cake (if you aren't baking one yourself).
. If you won't have many parents or relatives staying at the party, consider asking a favorite babysitter to help.
1 week ahead
. Decide on the order of activities.
. Try any games or activities with which you are familiar with.
. Check out any books or tapes you'll be borrowing from the library.
2-3 days ahead
. Call any guests who have not responded.
. Shop for groceries or other food being served. Buy candles.
. Purchase any candy for favors or pinata.
. Prepare (copy, cut out, etc.) any crafts that can be done ahead.
. Put together favor bags.
. Check camera. Charge video camera. Get film.
The day before the party
. Clean party area. Put away any items that may be dangerous or distracting.
. Bake or pick up cake.
. If ordering food such as pizza, call to arrange delivery.
. If necessary, confirm entertainer or any helpers.
. Sit with your child and discuss his or her expectations for the next day.
4 -5 hours ahead
. Set up decorations. Put candles in cake and locate matches.
. Get balloons filled or pick up helium latex and mylar balloons. Tie some balloons to the mailbox or front porch.
. Place crafts and prizes near the activity locations. Locate paper and pencil for recording gifts (for thank-you's).
1 hour ahead
. Consider putting any pets in an area away from the guests.
. Get birthday child and siblings dressed.
. Set up food and let your child help as much as possible.
. Set up first activity. . . . Have a great party!
Place To Have A Party
. Airport
. Amusement park
. Aquarium
. Acade
. Arts and Crafts Studio
. Ballet Studio
. Baseball Field
. Beach
. Bowling Alley
. Children's Museum
. Church Social Hall
. Community Center
. Farm
. Firehouse
. Gymnastics Studio
. Karate Studio
. library
. Minature Golf Course
. Movie Theatre
. Nature Center
. Park
. Pool
. Restaurant
. Salon
. Sports Center
. Stable
. Tearoom Or Hotel Tearoom
. Tourist Train
. The Atre
. Zoo
Can we open the presents now?"
Seemingly polite children often turn fiendish when charged with cake and ice cream. And, what should be a great ending to a special day dissenigrates into a gift-giving shoving match. The birthday child can become so energized, he tears open package after package, forgetting to say, "Thank you." If this sounds familiar, here are some tips to handle exuberant guests! The day before the party, sit down with your child and go over your expectations as well as his. For younger children, practice opening gifts. Hand your child a small toy which he pretends to open. Then coach him on ways to thank the giver. You may also practice what to say if he is given a gift he already has.
There are several fun ways to open gifts which help maintain focus on one gift at a time. One favorite is to turn the gift-opening into a treasure hunt. Before the party, write clues which lead to various locations in your home. For instance, "If it's a gift that you want, it's a gift you'll see, when you look behind the TV." After children arrive, an adult hides the presents in the various locations. When it's time to open presents, the host hands one clue at a time to the birthday child who finds the gift and opens it on the spot.
Another option is to form a circle with the birthday child at the head. Guests hold their gifts in their laps and going around the circle, guests hand presents one at a time to the birthday child who stops to open each gift before taking another. To make the circle strategy more festive, you might turn it into a game. Pass the presents slowly around the circle as music plays and when the music stops, the present that the birthday child is holding is the one that is opened next.
If you have more than 20 guests, consider opening presents after the guests have gone. Although the guests miss the excitement of seeing their present opened, it may be more practical! |
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